Image Credit: Salem Harbor, Fitz Henry Lane [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
We’ve added 12 new volumes toMassachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1900, from the parish of Immaculate Conception in Salem. This update consists of 2,860 pages, 23,972 records and roughly 90,300 names. St. Mary’s was originally the name of Immaculate Conception; as the parish grew and built a new church, the name changed. St. Mary’s was established in 1821, the 3rd Catholic church in Massachusetts. The new Immaculate Conception church was dedicated in 1858. The volumes below are named according to the name written in the actual record book. We want to thank all of our marvelous volunteers who contributed work towards making this parish available; their time and effort is so appreciated. The new volumes are listed below:
St. Mary (Salem) Baptisms, 1840-1854
St. Mary (Salem) Marriages, 1842-1870
Immaculate Conception (Salem) Baptisms and Marriages, 1824-1828
Immaculate Conception (Salem) Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, 1831-1841
If you have found any interesting stories or important information about your ancestors within the Archdiocese of Boston records, we would love to hear from you! Please email me (Molly Rogers) at webmaster@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Note added November 29, 2017:
Our policy is to name volumes as they are named in the Archdiocesan archives. They have decided to name the two St. Mary’s volumes as Immaculate Conception, so we have changed the volume names accordingly. This change is based upon the following research, “Saint Mary’s, Salem, was the second parish in the diocese founded in 1826. The parish was split in two with the establishment of Saint James in 1850, this to help serve the immediate area but also the large number of missions Saint Mary’s had become responsible for in the surrounding area. By 1857, a new church was completed to replace the old wooden church of Saint Mary’s, but because few priests were available they decided to merge the two parishes into one again, and rename this large parish the Immaculate Conception.”
We now have volumes online illustrating the early history of Catholics in Salem. This latest update to Massachusetts: (Image Only) Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1900 includes records from Saint Mary’s Church and Immaculate Conception of Salem. St. Mary’s was the earlier church, which was replaced by Immaculate Conception as the parish grew. These St. Mary’s records are not to be confused with St. Mary’s Italian Church of Salem which was not established until the 1900s. The following volumes comprise this update:
Our policy is to name volumes as they are named in the Archdiocesan archives. They have decided to name the two St. Mary’s volumes as Immaculate Conception, so we have changed the volume names accordingly. This change is based upon the following research, “Saint Mary’s, Salem, was the second parish in the diocese founded in 1826. The parish was split in two with the establishment of Saint James in 1850, this to help serve the immediate area but also the large number of missions Saint Mary’s had become responsible for in the surrounding area. By 1857, a new church was completed to replace the old wooden church of Saint Mary’s, but because few priests were available they decided to merge the two parishes into one again, and rename this large parish the Immaculate Conception.”
Today we’ve updatedEarly New England Families, 1641-1700, adding one new sketch. This new sketch features John Putnam and his family. John was born about 1579/1580 in Buckinghamshire, England, with his family largely settling in Salem and the surrounding area before spreading across New England.
The Early New England Families, 1641-1700 study project is led by Alicia Crane Williams. This project highlights heads of families mentioned in Torrey’s New England Marriages to 1700, focusing on individuals who immigrated from 1641 through 1700, grouped by year of marriage.
Interested researchers should also look at Alicia’s posts on Vita Brevishere for more information on her research process and interesting discoveries.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we’re excited to announce an update to Canadian Headstones: Cemetery Heritage Records of Canada. This update includes data from 67 cemeteries in Alberta, Newfoundland & Labrador, Saskatchewan, and Quebec, adding more than 15,000 records to search.
Canadian Headstones is a volunteer-operated Canadian non-profit dedicated to the digital preservation of Canada’s cemetery heritage. We are working together to create an index-only database that links back to the Canadian Headstones website for each record, which include headstone images, transcriptions, and full citations. To learn more about Canadian Headstones and their mission, please visit their website.
We’d like to thank Ben Jones for his assistance in making this data available online.
The following cemeteries have been released in this update:
Alberta
Old Banff Cemetery, Banff National Park, Alberta
Amisk Creek Lutheran Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
Ascension of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery (Kopernick), Beaver, Alberta
Bardo / Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
Earling / Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
God’s Acre Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
Golden Valley Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
Holden Cenotaph & War Memorial, Beaver, Alberta
Holden Municipal Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
Jarrow Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
Lornedale Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
Ryley Cenotaph & War Memorial, Beaver, Alberta
Ryley Community Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
Salem Mennonite Church Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
Salem United Church Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
St. John’s Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery (Borschiw), Beaver, Alberta
St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery, Beaver Alberta
The Garden, House of Ministries, Beaver, Alberta
Tofield Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
Unnamed Cemetery (near Holden), Beaver, Alberta
Viking Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Beaver, Alberta
Canmore Cemetery, Bighorn, Alberta
Hillcrest Cemetery, Bighorn Alberta
Newfoundland & Labrador
Halfyard Family Burial Ground, Ochre Pit Cove, Bay de Verde, Newfoundland & Labrador
Jacobs Family Cemetery, Old Highway, Norther Bay, Bay de Verde, Newfoundland & Labrador
Ochre Pit Cove United Church Cemetery, Bay de Verde, Newfoundland & Labrador
Salvage Anglican Cemetery, Bay de Verde, Newfoundland & Labrador
South United Cemetery, Western Bay, Bay de Verde, Newfoundland & Labrador
United Church Section Cemetery, Townsite, Corner Brook, Bay of Island, Newfoundland & Labrador
Quebec
Albertville Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Causapscal Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
J.C. Saindon Cemetery, Sayabec, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Jardin de la Paix Cemetery, Sayabec, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Lac-au-Saumon Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Repos Saint-Benoit Cemetery, Amqui, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Repos Saint-Paul Cemetery, Amqui, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Saint-Alexandre-des-Lacs Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Saint-Cleophas Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Saint Demase Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Sainte Florence Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Sainte Irene Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Sainte Marguerite-Marie Cemtery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Saint Leon-de-Grand Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Saint Moase Cemtery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Saint-Noel Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Saint-Tharcisius Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Saint Vianney Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Saint Zenon-du-Lac-Humqui Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Vall-Brilliant Cemetery, La Matapedia, Bas Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Saskatchewan
Jean Baptiste De La Salle Cemetery, Battle River No. 439, Saskatchewan
Lakside Cemetery, Barrier Valley, No. 398, Saskatchewan
Hawarden Cemetery, Beaver River No. 623, Saskatchewan
Beacon Hill Cemetery, Beaver River No. 624, Saskatchewan
Pierceland Cemetery, Beaver River No. 625, Saskatchewan
Bengough Cemetery, Bengough No. 41, Saskatchewan
Pleasantview Cemetery, Big Quill No. 309, Saskatchewan
St. Mary’s (Sacred Heart) Cemetery, Wynyard, Big Quill No. 310, Saskatchewan
Big River Cemetery, Big River No. 556, Saskatchewan
Today we are excited to announce that we have added 4 new cemeteries to Massachusetts: Catholic Cemetery Association Records, 1833-1940: North Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge), St. Mary (Lynn), St. Mary (Salem) and St. Patrick (Watertown). This final update adds 34 new volumes and over 177,000 records to this database and concludes our work on this project, which has been in process since 2019.
The records in this database are primarily lot sales and interments, and may include information about lot owners, date of burial and location of burial. Some of the people represented in these written records may not have purchased a grave marker or their marker may have eroded with time, making this collection essential for research into Catholic burials in this region.
In addition to the searchable database, maps of each cemetery are being made available to help locate burial plots. Where possible, maps include sections, ranges and in some cases narrative description of how headstones are arranged by row and lot number. Also included are points of interest such as entrances, exits, flag poles, monuments, offices and spigots. Special sections for the burials of infants, priests and religious are also noted. Links to the cemetery maps can be found in the Database Description. Watch ourhow-to video for instructions on navigating to the database and using the cemetery maps. Included in this update we’ve also added links to new maps in the database description.
The new volumes are listed below. Books labelled Cambridge Catholic belong to the North Cambridge Catholic cemetery.
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1846-1854
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1848-1851
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1851-1854
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1854-1855
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1856
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1856-1859
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1859-1861
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1862-1866
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1866-1875
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Lot Assignments, 1846-1858
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Lot Sales, 1845-1848
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Lot Sales, 1849-1853
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Lot Sales, 1853-1876
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Lot sales, 1859-1863
Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Lot Sales, 1863-1881
North Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) A-Z Index Lot Owners, 1846-1934
North Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1852-1866
North Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1867-1877
North Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1881-1908
North Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1883-1892
North Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Burials, 1925-1940
North Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Lot Assignments, 1846-1873
North Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Lot Owners, A-S, 1847-1868
North Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Lot Owners, S-Z, 1847-1868
North Cambridge Catholic (Cambridge) Lot Sales, 1846-1877
St. Mary (Lynn) Interments, 1860-1940
St. Mary (Lynn) Interments, 1919-1933
St. Mary (Lynn) Lot Locations and Owners
St. Mary (Lynn) Lot Sales, 1860-1884
St. Mary (Salem) Interments and Lot Sales, 1874-1900
St. Mary (Salem) Interments and Lot Sales, 1901-1927
St. Mary (Salem) Interments, 1928-1940
St. Patrick (Watertown) Burials, 1908-1918
St. Patrick (Watertown) Burials, 1928-1940
St. Patrick (Watertown) Burials, 1930-1940
St. Patrick (Watertown) Interments, 1908-1918
St. Patrick (Watertown) Lot Sales, 1860-1884
We’d like to thank the following volunteers for their work on these volumes of this database: Paul McCool, Mirca Sghedoni, Peg Camp, John Hagerty, Rick Lagueux, Lisa Butler, Kathy Oberley, Ross Weaver, Sandy Murphy Mauer, Daria O’Connor, Linda Martin Berke, Robyn Choate, Peggy Burchenal, Elaine Wood, Eileen McCarthy, Bill Morse, Jane Himmel, Jaime Williams-Peterson, Becki Clarke, Gail Delfose, Nancy Johnson, Renda Smith, Karen Jarret, Bob Rainville, Tom Clements, Mara Witzling, Jan Lundquist, David Fredette, Karen Buchinger, Nina Manno, Kathy Marshall-Mayer, Karen Ristic, Arlys LaFehr, Fran Danico, Susan Van Allen, Toni Lattimer, Sara Stinson, Elizabeth Handler, Linda Mathew, Melanie Nelson, Carolyn Jack, Pam Hugie, Jeanne Brown, Joan Koesterherm, Bill Kerrigan, Gale Stevenson, Michelle Kearns, Matt Murphy, Maryanne LeGrow, Conall O’Cathain, Sharon Dorrity, Alida Baker, Maureen Keillor, Helen Fredell, Janet Essency, Eldon Gay, Joyce McKenna, Mary Alice Yost, Lisa Bisio, Pam Johnson, Therese Mosorjak, Bill Fenton, Joan Sullivan, Judy Welna, Paula Hines, Nora Galvin, Patty Ryburn, and Becky Brownell-Smith.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we’ve added 22 new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from Immaculate Conception in Weymouth, Our Lady of Lourdes in Jamaica Plain, St. Charles Borromeo in Waltham, St. Charles Borromeo in Woburn, St. Francis Xavier in Weymouth and St. John the Evangelist in Swampscott. This update adds over 24,200 records and over 94,600 names to search.
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making these parishes available online.
Our Lady of Lourdes (Jamaica Plain) Baptisms, 1908-1917 Our Lady of Lourdes (Jamaica Plain) Baptisms, 1917-1920 Our Lady of Lourdes (Jamaica Plain) Marriages, 1908-1917
St. Charles Borromeo (Waltham) Baptisms, 1909-1920 St. Charles Borromeo (Waltham) Marriages, 1909-1920
St. Charles Borromeo (Woburn) Baptisms, 1908-1913 St. Charles Borromeo (Woburn) Baptisms, 1913-1920 St. Charles Borromeo (Woburn) Marriages, 1908-1909
St. Francis Xavier (Weymouth) Baptisms, 1907-1920 St. Francis Xavier (Weymouth) Confirmations, 1908-1920 St. Francis Xavier (Weymouth) Marriages, 1907-1920
St. John the Evangelist (Swampscott) Baptisms, 1906-1910 St. John the Evangelist (Swampscott) Baptisms, 1911-1920 St. John the Evangelist (Swampscott) First Communions and Confirmations, Female, 1909-1916 St. John the Evangelist (Swampscott) First Communions and Confirmations, Male, 1909-1916 St. John the Evangelist (Swampscott) Marriages, 1906-1910 St. John the Evangelist (Swampscott) Marriages, 1906-1913 St. John the Evangelist (Swampscott) Marriages, 1911-1920 St. John the Evangelist (Swampscott) Sick Calls, 1914-1920
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
St. Michael’s parish began in 1883 when Lowell’s churches were mandated to become geographically-arranged parishes. It was initially served by the priests of St. Patrick’s before it became officially independent. This church was built in Lowell’s Centralville neighborhood, across the river from downtown Lowell.
St. Michael’s Church in North Andover was dedicated in 1869 as many churches proliferated in the Lawrence area. Initially this church was linked with St. Patrick’s in south Lawrence before becoming an independent parish around the turn of the century.
As early as 1856, Catholics were worshiping in Rockport. Prior to the establishment of St. Joachim’s, Catholics would travel to Salem or Gloucester to worship. This parish was established in 1870.
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making these parishes available online.
The new volumes are listed below:
St. Michael (Lowell) Baptisms, 1908-1917 St. Michael (Lowell) Baptisms, 1917-1920 St. Michael (Lowell) Confirmations, 1903-1917 St. Michael (Lowell) Confirmations, 1920 St. Michael (Lowell) Convert Baptisms, 1910-1920 St. Michael (Lowell) First Communions, 1901-1920 St. Michael (Lowell) Marriages, 1908-1920
St. Michael (North Andover) Baptisms, 1900-1908 St. Michael (North Andover) Baptisms, 1903-1911 St. Michael (North Andover) Baptisms, 1908-1918 St. Michael (North Andover) Baptisms, 1911-1918 St. Michael (North Andover) Baptisms, 1918-1920 St. Michael (North Andover) Confirmations, 1902-1909 St. Michael (North Andover) First Communions, 1903-1920 St. Michael (North Andover) Marriages, 1908-1920 St. Michael (North Andover) Sick Calls, 1903-1906
St. Joachim (Rockport) Baptisms, 1905-1908 St. Joachim (Rockport) Baptisms, 1907-1920 St. Joachim (Rockport) Confirmations, 1905-1912 St. Joachim (Rockport) Confirmations, 1918-1920 St. Joachim (Rockport) Marriages, 1905-1913 St. Joachim (Rockport) Marriages, 1908-1920
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
St. John the Baptist in Peabody grew out of St. James’ Parish in Salem. The church was dedicated in 1879 and the parish continued to grow.
Our Lady of Lourdes was established in the Beachmont neighborhood of Revere. The church was blessed in 1902, and it became an independent parish in 1906. This parish grew from the first Catholic church in Revere, Immaculate Conception.
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making these parishes available online.
The new volumes are listed below:
St. John the Baptist (Peabody) Baptisms and Parish Census, 1907-1908 St. John the Baptist (Peabody) Baptisms, 1908-1914 St. John the Baptist (Peabody) Baptisms, 1914-1919 St. John the Baptist (Peabody) Baptisms, 1919-1920 St. John the Baptist (Peabody) Marriages, 1908-1920
Our Lady of Lourdes (Revere) Baptisms, 1906-1920 Our Lady of Lourdes (Revere) Baptisms, 1907-1908 Our Lady of Lourdes (Revere) Confirmations and First Communions, 1907-1920 Our Lady of Lourdes (Revere) Marriages, 1907-1920 Our Lady of Lourdes (Revere) Deaths and Burials, 1908-1920
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we’ve added eleven new volumes and updated four volumes in Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from St. Mary (Lawrence), St. Peter (Lowell) and Our Lady Star of the Sea (Marblehead). This update adds over 44,300 records and over 174,200 names to search.
St. Mary’s was the second Catholic church in Lawrence, coalescing in the year 1848. This church ultimately formed the backbone of Lawrence’s burgeoning Catholic community, splitting into many more parishes. To learn more about the early development of Catholicism in Lawrence, you may want to consult Sketch of Catholicity in Lawrence and vicinity by Katherine O’Keefe (1882), available in our Digital Library and Archive.
St. Peter’s was the second Catholic church in Lowell. In One Hundred Years of Progress, James Sullivan relates how to establishment of this congregation was contentious, as some parishioners who lived far from St. Patrick’s (the original parish) wanted a geographically convenient church, while others would have preferred not to split the church. The first Mass was held in 1842, and from then the parish continued to grow.
Initially, Catholics across northeastern Massachusetts travelled to St. Mary’s in Salem to worship. In 1864, Our Lady Star of the Sea in Marblehead became its own parish. Before Danvers had a parish, Catholics from Danvers often travelled to Marblehead to worship.
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making these parishes available online.
The new volumes are listed below. Volumes with an asterisk have been updated. Previously they were truncated to only display records from before January 1, 1901. Now they are presented on our site in their complete form or up through December 31, 1920:
St. Mary (Lawrence) Baptisms, 1900-1913* St. Mary (Lawrence) Confirmations, 1860-1920* St. Mary (Lawrence) Marriages, 1908-1910 St. Mary (Lawrence) Marriages, 1911-1913 St. Mary (Lawrence) Marriages, 1914-1916 St. Mary (Lawrence) Marriages, 1917-1918 St. Mary (Lawrence) Marriages, 1919-1920 St. Mary Mission (Lawrence) Marriages, 1908-1919
St. Peter (Lowell) Baptisms, 1898-1904* St. Peter (Lowell) Baptisms, 1904-1907 St. Peter (Lowell) Baptisms, 1907-1914 St. Peter (Lowell) Baptisms, 1914-1919 St. Peter (Lowell) Marriages, 1883-1904* St. Peter (Lowell) Marriages, 1904-1919
Our Lady Star of the Sea (Marblehead) Baptisms, 1908-1920
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we have added 3 new volumes and updated 9 volumes for the Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 database. Today’s addition provides the parishes of St. Ann in Dorchester, St. Mary Star of the Sea in Beverly, St. Peter in Cambridge. St. Mary in Randolph and Immaculate Conception in Malden. This update includes over 1,600 pages, 20,000 records and over 75,000 searchable names.
The first Mass at Immaculate Conception (Malden) was celebrated on Christmas Day in 1854. At the time, the parish attracted Catholics from many towns north of Boston including Medford, Melrose, Wakefield, South Reading, Stoneham, Winchester, and Everett.
The parish of St. Ann (Dorchester) celebrated its first Mass on Christmas in 1880 after breaking off from St. Gregory’s parish.
St. Mary’s in Randolph was built in 1849, as the Catholic population in Randolph expanded, no longer needing to travel to Quincy to worship.
St. Mary Star of the Sea in Beverly began as a mission of Immaculate Conception (Salem). The church was dedicated in Beverly in 1870, and in 1871 they became their own parish. St. Mary Star of the Sea in Beverly also ran missions in Manchester and Ipswich, and as the Catholic population grew, a second church was built in Beverly Farms, called St. Margaret.
St. Peter was established in 1848 as the Catholic population of Cambridge grew; it broke off from the parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the beginning, this parish not only served Catholics of Cambridge, but also Catholics from many towns in northeast inland Massachusetts. The church is located in between Fresh Pond and Harvard Square.
The volumes delivered are as follows: • Immaculate Conception (Malden) Marriages, 1868-1904 • St. Ann (Dorchester) Baptisms, 1889-1904 • St. Mary (Randolph) Baptisms, 1888-1908 • St. Mary (Randolph) Marriages, 1888-1907 • St. Mary Star of the Sea (Beverly) Baptisms, 1895-1909 • St. Mary Star of the Sea (Beverly) Baptisms, 1909-1920 • St. Mary Star of the Sea (Beverly) Baptisms, 1920 • St. Mary Star of the Sea (Beverly) Confirmations, 1898-1920 • St. Mary Star of the Sea (Beverly) Marriages, 1871-1915 • St. Mary Star of the Sea (Beverly) Marriages, 1915-1920 • St. Peter (Cambridge) Baptisms, 1890-1920 • St. Peter (Cambridge) Marriages, 1893-1920
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making these parishes available online. If you would like to become part of the team working on rewarding genealogical projects, please contact Rachel Adams, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator via email at rachel.adams@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.